14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is relying on the launch of the 3DS handheld on February 26 to push it forward into 2011, but it seems that the device might have a couple of issues, linked to its three dimensional capabilities, that could prove a problem when it comes to mass market adoption.
David Ewalt, who writes for The Geek's Beat and has had time to test the Nintendo 3DS, says that, “The 3DS wants you to keep a distance of about 30 inches from the card, and every time I pulled too far away, it would pause the game. That happened a lot.”
He added, “Limited movement is also an issue with the 3D screen overall. Tilt it to the left or right, or move it towards one side of your body or another, and the screen goes blurry. I can see where that would be tiring.”
A report in the Japanese magazine Friday says that a lot of those who have tried out the Nintendo 3DS at the Nintendo World event in Japan have complained about fatigued eyes and even of headaches after a while.
The report needs to be taken with a grain of salt considering that the magazine specializes in celebrity news and extraordinary claims.
Nintendo seems to be keen to preempt any reports of health issues linked to the 3DS, as it already warns about prolonged gaming sessions on normal screens and says that children under the age of 6 should not use the 3D gaming in its new device (an optometrist organization disputes this warning).
At the moment, we know that the 3DS will be first released on the Japanese market for the equivalent of about 300 dollars.
Set in stone dates and prices for North America and Europe have not yet been announced, but the new handheld device will be available before the beginning of April.